Clinical Impressions of How Young Children Use AAC at Home and in Child Care Settings: A Canadian Perspective

2010 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28
Author(s):  
Kathryn Wishart

Abstract Speech-language pathologists, working in a multicultural, community-based environment for young children with special needs in Vancouver, Canada, collected information on 84 clients using AAC from a chart review. The speech-language pathologists collected additional usage information and attended a group interview to discuss barriers and facilitators of AAC. Thirty-one percent of the children were using AAC. Children aged between 16 and 72 months typically relied on multiple modes of communication, including sign, communication boards and binders, and low- and high-tech communication devices. All of the children used at least one type of unaided mode. Fifty-five percent used pictures or communication boards/displays, and 29% used technology with speech output. Similarities in usage of AAC were noted in home and child-care settings with increased use of unaided in homes and a slightly increased use of aided communication in child care settings. Speech-language pathologists reported that the time needed for AAC intervention as well as limited funding for high-tech devices continue to be major barriers. Additional research is needed to describe current AAC practices with young children particularly from minority linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Stakeholder input is needed to explore perceptions of children's usage of AAC in daily life with familiar and unfamiliar communication partners.

2018 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 176-191 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng-Ju Tsai

Speech language pathologists (SLPs) play a leading role in overall augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) service delivery. Several changes (e.g., the provision of university AAC courses) related to AAC occurred in Taiwan in the past. However, little information of AAC services provided by SLPs in Taiwan is available. The purpose of the article is to review the evolution of AAC service delivery by SLPs in Taiwan. Findings from Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong served as a reference. A questionnaire was mailed to 302 participants registered with the Speech-Language-Hearing Association of Taiwan (SLHA) as SLPs. A response rate is 33%. Most SLPs work in a department of rehabilitation in a hospital setting which is in northern Taiwan. Workshops held by the SLHA were the major resources for obtaining professional knowledge in AAC. Collaboration with an AAC team and training in the use of high-tech communication devices were the most desired forms of information and/or training. Implications are discussed.


2020 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 914-938
Author(s):  
Anna Cronin ◽  
Sharynne McLeod ◽  
Sarah Verdon

Purpose Children with a cleft palate (± cleft lip; CP±L) can have difficulties communicating and participating in daily life, yet speech-language pathologists typically focus on speech production during routine assessments. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health: Children and Youth Version (ICF-CY; World Health Organization, 2007 ) provides a framework for holistic assessment. This tutorial describes holistic assessment of children with CP±L illustrated by data collected from a nonclinical sample of seven 2- to 3-year-old children, 13 parents, and 12 significant others (e.g., educators and grandparents). Method Data were collected during visits to participants' homes and early childhood education and care centers. Assessment tools applicable to domains of the ICF-CY were used to collect and analyze data. Child participants' Body Functions including speech, language, and cognitive development were assessed using screening and standardized assessments. Participants' Body Structures were assessed via oral motor examination, case history questionnaires, and observation. Participants' Activities and Participation as well as Environmental and Personal Factors were examined through case history questionnaires, interviews with significant others, parent report measures, and observations. Results Valuable insights can be gained from undertaking holistic speech-language pathology assessments with children with CP±L. Using multiple tools allowed for triangulation of data and privileging different viewpoints, to better understand the children and their contexts. Several children demonstrated speech error patterns outside of what are considered cleft speech characteristics, which underscores the importance of a broader assessment. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists can consider incorporating evaluation of all components and contextual factors of the ICF-CY when assessing and working with young children with CP±L to inform intervention and management practices.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 43-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pearl A. Gordon ◽  
Harold L. Luper

Speech-language pathologists often struggle with the differentiation of stuttering from normal disfluencies in young children. Differential diagnostic protocols are frequently used to aid clinicians in this complex clinical task. In this article the general format and criteria, clinical data collection procedures, documentation, and relative use of quantification in six protocols are examined and discussed. In a forthcoming companion article, we will discuss problems encountered with the use of differential diagnostic protocols and offer suggestions for future research and the use of these protocols.


2010 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Friderike Schmidt Von Wûhlisch ◽  
Michelle Pascoe

Limited research has been carried out in the field of speech-language pathology with regard to ways of maximising health literacy and client recall. However, speech-language pathologists (SLPs) frequently provide vast amounts of information that clients need to understand, apply and review in order to manage their (or their child’s) health. This exploratory study aimed to contribute information about ways in which SLPs can overcome low health literacy and poor client recall so that treatment effectiveness is improved. A case-study design was used with specific focus on four clients receiving treatment for dysphagia, voice disorders (including laryngectomies) and cleft lip and/or palate management in Cape Town. Strategies which may be able to maximise health literacy and client recall of clinical information were trialled and evaluated by clients and their SLPs, using semi-structured interviews. The researchers proposed a combination of high-tech strategies which assisted in all the cases. No single solution or universal tool was found that would be appropriate for all. There is a need to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of the combined strategies across a wider population, at different stages of rehabilitation and in diverse contexts. Implications and suggestions for future related research are presented.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tadesse Jaleta Jirata

In this article, I address African indigenous knowledge of early childhood development by discussing young children’s cultural spaces of care, play and learning among the Guji people of Ethiopia. I analyze practices in the cultural spaces of young children and show how participatory community-based care and learning are pivotal in the tradition of early childhood development in the Guji people. Furthermore, I present the features of play and learning traditions in which young children are social actors in sustaining social interaction and stability in their neighborhoods. My discussion is based on data drawn from 10 months ethnographic fieldwork carried out in the rural villages of the Guji people.


2018 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 774-786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathryn L. Cabbage ◽  
Kelly Farquharson ◽  
Jenya Iuzzini-Seigel ◽  
Jennifer Zuk ◽  
Tiffany P. Hogan

Purpose Children with dyslexia have speech production deficits in a variety of spoken language contexts. In this article, we discuss the nature of speech production errors in children with dyslexia, including those who have a history of speech sound disorder and those who do not, to familiarize speech-language pathologists with speech production–specific risk factors that may help predict or identify dyslexia in young children. Method In this tutorial, we discuss the role of a phonological deficit in children with dyslexia and how this may manifest as speech production errors, sometimes in conjunction with a speech sound disorder but sometimes not. We also briefly review other factors outside the realm of phonology that may alert the speech-language pathologist to possible dyslexia. Results Speech-language pathologists possess unique knowledge that directly contributes to the identification and remediation of children with dyslexia. We present several clinical recommendations related to speech production deficits in children with dyslexia. We also review what is known about how and when children with speech sound disorder are most at risk for dyslexia. Conclusion Speech-language pathologists have a unique opportunity to assist in the identification of young children who are at risk for dyslexia.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document